Paul Buchanan (born 16 April 1956, Edinburgh, Scotland [6]) and his childhood friend Robert Bell grew up together in Glasgow, they both attended the University of Glasgow in the late 1970s, Buchanan gaining a degree in literature and medieval history, [6] Bell in mathematics. [7] Buchanan's civil-servant father had been a semi-professional musician and had musical instruments in the house, but it was only after he and Bell had graduated that Buchanan began to think seriously about a career in music. [8] The band members have also gained a reputation for their avoidance of publicity, their idiosyncratic dealings with the recording industry and their perfectionism and slow work rate, which has resulted in the release of just four albums since the group's formation in 1981. The group appears to have disbanded since the release of the fourth album High in 2004, although there has never been any official confirmation. NME placed A Walk Across the Rooftops at number 28 in its critics' list of albums of the year in 1984, while the single "Tinseltown in the Rain" placed at number 27 in the equivalent singles list. [32] Roberts, Chris (21 November 2012). "The Blue Nile A Walk Across the Rooftops: Collector's Edition Review". BBC Music . Retrieved 7 March 2013.

With his own studio, Castlesound, and his own band, The Headboys – who’d had a hit for the label in 1979 with The Shape Of Things To Come – he’d first cut his teeth recording traditional Scottish music before working with early Postcard Records acts, including Josef K and Orange Juice, not to mention The Krankies on It’s Fan-Dabi-Dozi!On its release, A Walk Across the Rooftops gained widespread acclaim from music critics for its mixture of sparse, detailed electronic sounds and Buchanan's soulful vocals, later described as a "fusion of chilly technology and a pitch of confessional, romantic soul". [20] In 1984, the band gained greater exposure in Europe, with the videos for their two singles, "Stay" and "Tinseltown in the Rain", often shown on the video channel Music Box. The band's profile began to grow, although its existence remained precarious. Buchanan commented, "I've always found it strange that people missed the 'punk' aspect of A Walk Across the Rooftops. We were living in a flat in Glasgow with no hot water. We barely knew what we were doing and that was very liberating." [17] Hats (1985–1990) [ edit ]

Even the frustrations, perhaps of romance or maybe of wider permanent self-acceptance and illustrated by the lyric “Stop/Go/Stop/Go” suggest automobile traffic as much as human pedestrians. Hats sold better in the UK than A Walk… and in the US A&M records used a toll-free number in an ad to give away free copies (although presumably home-taping was still killing music). No production values could hope to distract from Buchanan’s voice, though, the anguish and sadness being impossible to conceal or disguise. The album has some excellent uptempo moments such as “Headlights on The Parade” when all the yearning seems to reach a joyful crescendo of sorts, but it must be said that anyone who wants a record which provides a pretty unrelenting opportunity to really wallow in gorgeous, sublime, melancholy should dive into this one. Things arguably get a bit out of balance on “Let’s Go Out Tonight” where the sluggish pace and mournfulness seem to contradict the title – and no one in their right mind would wish to go out with Buchanan in that state. He sounds morose to the point of being incapable of even getting his round in.a b Sodomsky, Sam (17 January 2018). "The Blue Nile - Hats". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 February 2023. Two decades later he offered The Herald niceties more telling of the group’s character: “We didn’t say, ‘That’s fine, it’s good enough, let’s go out and get laid.’ We’d look at each other and say, ‘Is that right? No? Right, see you Monday.’ People talk about us as if it’s self-indulgent, but there were a lot of sacrifices. I was not in a jacuzzi. I was in a studio in East Lothian!” Read more: Making The Sundays’ Reading, Writing & Arithmetic Brown, Allan (2011). Nileism: The Strange Course of the Blue Nile. Polygon Books. ISBN 978-1-84697-185-3. Still a landmark, still high, still somehow intangible: The Blue Nile didn’t sound or function like any normal band.

a b c d e f Kelly, Jennifer (31 January 2013). "At the Source of the Blue Nile: An Interview with Paul Buchanan". PopMatters . Retrieved 14 March 2013. Roberts, David, ed. (2006). Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p.66. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7. In 2019, the band's major label albums were re-issued on vinyl, with a re-issue of High charting at number 74 in the UK charts after being released by Confetti Records on 5 June 2020 as vinyl or double CD edition. [31] Legacy [ edit ] It was Kid Jensen that was playing it,” Buchanan told Johnnie Walker, “and for some reason somebody said to us, ‘It’s No.126 in the charts’. I remember thinking, ‘That’s fantastic!’ And that was a Friday, I think. Anyway, on the Monday the company was bankrupt. It wasn’t the best start.” Nonetheless, Bell told Melody Maker, “That was the turning point. After that we decided to think about writing music in the long term.”Like the later work of the like-minded, if dramatically dissimilar, Talk Talk – whose Mark Hollis once famously said, “Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note… and don’t play one note unless you’ve got a reason to play it” – the record embraces peace and quiet so much they’re virtually its central focus. Its poignant sentimentality, meanwhile, skilfully, solemnly swerves the saccharine. Belcher, David (16 February 1996). "Digging up a rare new jewel from the Nile". The Herald. Glasgow, Scotland: Caledonian Newspaper Publishing . Retrieved 4 April 2013. Top 40, Stichting Nederlandse. "The Blue Nile". Top40.nl (in Dutch) . Retrieved 1 January 2022. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)